1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to alarm systems and, more particularly, to an alarm system adapted for use in an energy management system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many utilities are beginning to consider the remote reading of meters as a cost effective way of determining electric, gas, and water consumption. The remote reading of meters avoids the time and effort required to manually take the periodic readings of each meter and also avoids the uncertainty of being able to read a meter at a remote location where access to the meter must be provided and the occupants are away. Generally speaking, remote meter reading systems basically comprise an encoder device which is attached to the existing meter to sense the meter reading, storage means for storing the sensed reading, and transponder means for selectively transmitting such information over an associated communications link to a central station in response to an interrogation signal from such station.
Although technical problems relating to the reliability of remote meter reading systems have been overcome, the cost of providing such a system has heretofore been rather high. As the production of services becomes an ever increasing cost to utility companies, however, the remote reading of meters becomes more economically attractive. Moreover, remote meter reading allows the utility companies to reliably obtain the reading from each meter periodically regardless of outside factors such as weather, manpower, and the like.
The increased cost in the production of services to the utility companies is generally reflected in the expense of these services to the consumer. And in some remote reading units, it is possible for an unauthorized person to gain access to the internal circuitry of the meter and cause the encoder device to provide inaccurate usage information for transmission to a centrally located receiving station. It is important, therefore, for the utility company to have a means for detecting an attempt to disconnect the meter or tamper with the lines connected thereto.